Liberation of Ellish

From FiranMUX

Contents 1 Overview 2 The Run Up to War 3 Firan Leaders at the Front in 42 A.U. 3.1 Donos Ista Aldrik 3.2 Argin Elianik 3.3 Lucas Elianik 3.4 Savaren Elianik 3.5 Jalil Firgalik 4 The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Firan Army at Ellish 5 The Enemy 5.1 Shamibelian Officers 5.2 Shamibelian Weaponry 6 Kidnappings 7 The Missions 7.1 Mapping the Area 7.2 Fort Triumph Sapping 7.3 Fort Zayes Scouting 7.4 Red Bloom and Privy Sickness 7.5 Ellish Scouting 7.6 Firebombing! 7.7 Breaking The Gates 7.8 Slaves Insurrection 8 The Politics and Negotiations 9 The Battles 9.1 Bandar's Hills 9.2 Judano's Climb 9.3 Fort Triumph 9.4 Garen's Gully 9.5 Fort Zayes 9.6 Shamibelian Raid! 9.7 The Siege of Ellish 9.7.1 Day One 9.7.2 The Tower of Obala 9.7.3 Day Two 9.7.4 Nydiam's Sacrifice 9.7.5 Donos' Duel 9.7.6 The End of the Battle 9.8 Immediate Aftermath 10 Recollections of Individual Soldiers 11 Aftermath 12 Casualties 13 Logs, Famous Speeches, Awards, and Letters 13.1 Logs 13.2 Famous Speeches 13.3 Awards 13.4 Letters

Overview

Since the inception of Firan there has been a War Season. Every year, the Firan Republic sent its army to fight the Shamibelians to reclaim Ellish. The city was once controlled by the Griffon Clan but was occupied by Shamibelians during the Exodus. Every year, the army would march on the city. Mostly, Firans and Shamibelians traded a handful of forts back and forth. The city was never reclaimed.

The 2007-2008 War Season was a departure from prior years. The staff abandoned the abstract battle fields that gave people random damage without using the whole combat system. Adam wrote a new, easier-to-use combat system that offered players new tactical options. The staff gave the in-character military officers options, ran scouting missions and other military missions, and extended the season from two weeks to three weeks (RL).

The Firans fought a number of battles. In prior years, battle fields were named "Battle Field 5," "Battle Field 6," and so on. This year, we gave each battle field a unique name and character. For example, "Garen's Gully" is a steep climb up a rocky hill, bracketed on each side by cliffs that enemy archers could use to shoot Firans. The character of the fighting in each battle was different, too. Some were fought primarily in the air by griffon pilots; others, by archers; still others, with sword and spear on the ground or on the walls of forts.

The changes are a huge success. War Season was fun! In general, even though almost thirty characters were killed, players felt they were sacrificing the lives of their characters for something worthwhile. In the end... well, read on.

The Run Up to War

In the lead up to the war, Lord Donos Ista Aldrik addressed the Clan Council asking for twenty five billion stenis in order to fund the war effort. Not only did the clan council come through, but during that meeting and after, ordinary citizens from commoners to nobility lined up to give whatever they could afford to the effort.

In addition to the stenis, a great number of items needed to be collected to send to the front with the troops. Those put in charge of the effort by Lord Donos were: Lord Captain Tyrsun Firgalik, Lord Captain Marsalos Iberik, Lady Captain Prima Dawn, Captain Karana Karanik, Dame Centurion Balinda Garkansen and Centurion Yacen Cylisti.

The generosity of the Firan people coupled with their desire to see the city retaken drove the fund-raising effort in to high gear. Across the city of Anarinuell people from every walk of life found ways to contribute, from noble parties with a cost of admittance to commoner cooking parties to donate food. Stenis flowed in as not only the bank accounts of the rich but those of the poor, the piggy banks of children and the coffers of charities were emptied to fund Donos request. Even though a lot of commoners did not even know there was a number as high as one billion (let alone 25) the whole Republic pulled together to make it happen.

There was a huge benefit to the funding in terms of OOC and IC planning. Due to our tremendous funding we enjoyed several advantages that Donos and his staff could deploy. We had a small number of captures or one death that could be overturned, and we had a pool of bonus dice that he could choose to employ in the battles, as well as many others. It would be a combination of the great IC and OOC spirit as well as these benefits--representing Firan cunning and resolve--that would help this be the war season to end all war seasons.

Firan Leaders at the Front in 42 A.U.

Donos Ista Aldrik

At the beginning of the run up to war Lord Jalil Firgalik was installed as the High General of the Army and given the responsibility of reforming the army and leading the troops. But while flying on griffonback the Lord was injured and suffered a severe enough broken leg that he would not be able to lead the troops. This necessitated the appointment of another man to lead the Army in the war season, and the Clan Council chose the other man they had considered initially: Lord Donos Ista Aldrik. Lord Donos was a decorated pilot already, and quickly moved in to the role by stunning the Clan Council with his funding request: If they gave his army 25 billion stenis he would give them Ellish. 25 billion stenis would make this the most well funded army in recorded history, and the Clan Council was unable to raise the money by itself. Supplying a large portion of it, they turned the call to the people to raise the remaining. In the end Donos would get his 25,000,000,000 stenis and his well funded army.

The other major change that Donos instituted before the war season was a reorganization of the military. Years before the Viceroy, Lord Taleo had created in effect two seperate armies, one under Prince Zaridos and one under Prince Savaren, each with its own Air Force and operational procedures. Donos instituted the One Division policy, where there would only be one army and one air force, all under his command and all with one chain of command. This required Savaren and Zaridos both to relinquish a command many saw as their chance to prove worthy of the Ranivorship. Both men set aside these concerns for the good of the Army, and soon Donos had his funding and his united Army.

Lord Donos united the Firans from all clan in to one effective fighting force, utilizing all of the Army's assets including the Giant Eagle he knew more about than almost any other Firan and the newly developed firebomb to make the enemy pay for their years of conquest. He died on the field of battle in the duel against General Ehrip, a hero; he is seen now as one of if not the greatest General in the history of the Republic, spoken of in the same reverent terms of Elianos, and comparisons between the two persist.

Argin Elianik

Argin Elianik was the Infantry commander during the war season, serving directly under and reporting directly to Lord First General Donos. In the lead up to the war Argin implemented a series of changes within the Infantry to more accurately assess what soldiers were skilled in what skills. You would be given a title based on your skills (IC and OOC) and placed in one of the lines accordingly.

No Title - This means you are a close combat troop. You use a sword or a dagger or something.

Spear - You have combat/spears at 3 or better.

Hoplite - You are proficient with both a spear and a close combat weapon (skill 3 or better).

Archer - In addition to using a close combat weapon, you have combat/archery at 3 or better.

Archer-Only - You are /only/ an archer.

Medic - You have healing at 3 or better in addition to being skilled with a close combat weapon.

Pilot - Riding/Aerial of 3 or better and permission to fly a Griffon in battle. Paired with a second Pilot or Archer-Only.

Additionally he and Lord Donos created a new formula for the Firan Battle lines. The line would be based on successive uses of the @defend command in Combat 3.0, creating ranks to fall back in to or be protected by. The lines went in this order: Swords defend Spears defend Archers defend support/reserve/flag officers. These changes would ensure the Firan Infantry had the muscle and power to stand up to the less rigidly organized Shamibelians.

Argin personally fought in every major battle during the Ellish Campaign, leading the Firan ground forces from the front lines. His contributions also included successfully dueling a Shamibelian Warlord to the death at Garen's Gully, and acting in his capacity as a representative for the Republic when the Firan leadership met in negotiations with the Shamibelians.

Lucas Elianik

Just before shipping out, Prince Commander Lucas Elianik was made a staff officer under Lord First General Donos. Made responsible for coordinating between the divisions of the fighting forces, Lucas served primarily as an advisor to Donos and as a front-line soldier. Leaving command of the infantry to his brother, Lucas stood at the front lines with the finest of the Firan warriors to do battle with the foe. Lucas fought in every major battle at the front, leading squads of spears and swords and archers. He dueled a Shamibelian warlord before the gates of Ellish alongside his cousin Savaren.

In the days following the liberation of Ellish, Lucas embarked on a secretive and solo mission into unstable territory in order to locate and rescue his cousin, Clan Leader Ania Istaneysani. He was successful in this task and returned Ania to Anarinuell to lead her clan. The prince has recently been tasked with leafing a military detachment back to Ellish to pacify the city.

Savaren Elianik

Before the lead up to this war season Prince General Savaren Elianik was one of two men in control of the army and reporting directly to the Viceroy himself, a position he shared with his cousin Prince Zaridos, but he was not to lead the Army to Ellish. First the Clan Council appointed Lord Jalil Firgalik as the High General of the Army, and when he injured himself they appointed Lord Donos Ista Aldrik as First General. Other men would have been angry at having their command, which represented a chance to prove one worthy of the Ranivorship, taken from them. But Prince Savaren never complained, and threw himself in to the effort in any way that Donos asked of him. He fought in as many of the battles as he could, proving he possessed the courage of Elianos; it was this courage that would see him killed.

He took the field at the Battle of Ellish and fought ferociously in the second part. Overwhelmed by the enemy he fought with a sword until it was taken from his hand by the force of a blow; and after that he kept fighting on heedless of the danger, using his fists and the brawling skills of his line to take down more of the foe. But in the end he would take fatal wounds from the Shamibelians. He would not die on the field but several days later after hanging on long enough to make his goodbyes to family and friend, and give one final stirring speech on the fields that had taken his young life. His final public words are recorded in his speech below, his final words in the medical tent are recorded here:

"Dying Savaren begins. "I am tired. My boots are worn from marching." He breathes heavily. "My armor is the history of those that tried to slay me, my sword is the end result of that." HE stops to breathe again. "I am tired. My Grandafather tells me we attack at dawn. I am ready and will fight on." He breathes. "It is a few hours till, i will rest till then. When he orders the attack i will fight for the republic and my leader." He then says simply. "Rislan? I am tired." He closes his eyes. *Firan*

His dedication to the Republic made him shine to the very end, where he died like a true Elianik: a hero.

Jalil Firgalik

In the run up to war, the Clan Council was left to debate whether to appoint Jalil Firgalik or Donos IstaAldrik as High General of the Army. The Council bickered and politicked about the choice, and eventually chose Jalil Firgalik to head up the Army. But, as a compromise, it appointed Donos to be his 'First General,' a title and rank unknown to the Firans until then. The idea was that Jalil was to lead the Army and that Donos serve as his right-hand man. But it is Donos, not Jalil, that is known for liberating Ellish.

Shortly before the troops were to ship out, word escaped that Jalil had suffered many broken ribs from a griffon-riding accident. His injuries were so severe that they would not be healed in time for him to be able to take command of the Army at Ellish. And so Donos, not Jalil, was left with field command of the Army that would go on to take Ellish itself. Jalil did, however, turn up at war in his capacity as General -- but he was not on the field of battle itself.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Firan Army at Ellish

Advantages

The greatest advantage the Firan army has always had is its' hierarchical nature. The Firans have a chain of command that means no one person's death will cripple or ruin the army (necessarily), and that it is capable of fighting on even if all of its generals are dead. The Shamibelian army tends to break and scatter when the General dies, presumably because they lack the delegation and responsibility sharing skills of the Firans. When an officer falls in battle another is there to lead, meaning the Firan army is capable of retaining structure even in retreat.

The second advantage is the ingenuity of the Firans. As shown in a series of raids before war Shamibelians will do something that works over and over again, sticking to what has proven true in the past. A Firan is capable of greater trickery and invention than a Shami, and this was put in to effect this year. There were ambushes, flanks, secret missions and even Aerval's first instance of biological warfare. A smarter, more innovative army allowed the Firans to fight on their terms, not their enemy's.

This year the Firan army also had an advantage in their truly superior funding. Before the war, Lord First General Donos asked the Clan Council for 25 billion stenis to take back Ellish, a sum most peasants were barely aware even existed. The Clans (to varying degrees) scraped their coffers to pay for it. But in an amazing display of solidarity the funding gap was made up for by the people of Anarinuell and the Republic. Charities were emptied and families scraped every steni they could spare to help liberate the last enslaved Firan city. Lord Donos got his 25 billion, and used it to his advantage.

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage the army faced was numbers. The Shammibelians consistently fielded larger armies, as they had in the previous 41 war seasons. Similarly they also had time to entrench more, meaning their forts were well defended and Ellish was positively a nightmare. No Firan army had touched Ellish since it was taken, so the Shamibelians knew the lay of the land and the secrets it held better than any Firan.

Shamibelians are also individually more physically able than a single Firan, being uniformly taller and more muscular. In a straight up fight between an average soldier and an average Shamibelian it isn't a sure thing, but the advantage normally lies with the goat. This ability only increases as higher ranked Shamibelians are fielded, with the warlords being towering and fear inspiring brutes. Only the top Firan soldiers could take on one of these monsters one on one and feel any kind of guarantee.

Some Shamibelians also possess mystic powers. As demonstrated at the Battle of Anir Creek, Shamibelian Priests (also known as Obalan Death Knights) can fire lightning bolts by calling on the power of their dark God Obala. This ability has proven to be tricky to overcome in the past, with the only tactic being to just soldier through and overwhelm the Knight with bodies. There are rumors they could also resurrect the dead, but that was not seen on the field this year.

Similarly once they actually made it to Ellish the Firan army faced the Tower of Obala, a black abomination reaching high in to the sky above Ellish. Fueled by Obala and sped by sacrifices, it launched huge bolts of lightning powerful enough to down griffons, and almost enough to take out a Giant Eagle!

The Enemy

Shamibelian Officers

Hralib

Hralib is a long time enemy of the Firan people. He loves to make himself known as both a master slaver and an accomplished leader of his army. He has, over the years, taken many women from the Firan forces to keep as his own playthings, using them to taunt the Firans with and show his domination.

This campaign, the closer the Republic got to Ellish, the more Hralib would act out, be it over negotiations, or on the field itself. It is rumored that he has powers that can debilitate the mind and body, and some of this was shown during attempted talks with Hralib and his lackey, the Governor of Ellish, Fudathim.

After the Liberation of Ellish, Hralib was no where to be seen. His presence cooled and eventually disappeared.

Fudathim

Fudathim is the ever-anxious and willing-to-prove-himself, Governor of Ellish. He is the source behind the hundreds of dropped pamphlets between war seasons, demanding retributions, sacrifices, and even the head of the High Priestess. He is always nervous in the presence of Hralib and talks a big game when he needs to.

Unfortunately, talking a big game and actually picking up a weapon to fight are two different things. When Lord General Zafir Junik defeated Fudathim without taking a single hit to his own being, the Republic forces cheered the hero's name and lauded his accomplishment. After all those years enduring the taunting of the Governor of Ellish, the legendary swordsman silenced Fudathim with his sword and ended an era for the Shamibelians at Ellish. Fudathim is currently being held a prisoner of the Republic.

General Ehrip

Ehrip was the General of the Shamibelian forces and is the son of General Ehriman. At the last push for Ellish, a duel was demanded between the two Generals of the opposing forces, and Donos stepped out to bravely fight the enemy. The duel seemed to be held in slow motion, as both sides of each army paused to watch their leaders duke it out, steel blade against steel blade.

The Shamibelian General won a small victory, though, when he slew Lord General Donos in front of his whole army, finishing off the life of a hero. But, instead of this being a blow to the morale, the Firan Forces continued on and liberated Ellish regardless that their leader had fallen. Ehrip is now being kept a prisoner of the Republic after he so chose to surrender.

Shamibelian Weaponry

Fire Bombs

The Shamibelian fire bombs are not to be compared with those that the Firans have managed to develop. These fire bombs are highly complex and big enough to cause mass destruction on cities of any size. For many years, the Firan people have been terrorized by these weapons, which have ripped through homes and families, claiming the lives of many. The Firan Forces have been trying to perfect the concoction of oils and fire to make an imitation bomb of their own. After many years of research and development, they came up with a close second in a smaller form.

Net Throwers

These are the bane of the Air Force’s existence. Developed by the traitorous Throgana, the Shamibelians were armed with net throwers, devices which launch nets high into the air to capture griffons and their pilots. It’s pretty much a death sentence for the pilots involved. They are manned by a few operators and pretty hard to miss amongst the lines. The Firan forces managed to recover one net thrower to bring home as their own.

Shamibelian Priests of Obala

While not a conventional weapon at all, the Shamibelian Obalan Priests have the ability to use a blue aura or light to zap their enemies. This may or may not have something to do with the Tower of Obala.

Tower of Obala

The Tower of Obala feeds off of negative energy and dispels it in numbing, blue bolts that rip through the sky and down onto its enemies. It is not sure how the tower works, but when it is at full throttle, it fills the area with the ominous sounds of its humming, a clear warning to all.

The tower seemed to be more powerful with the use of the Ticanee Totem Pole, and the sacrifices used to feed it.

Totem Pole

This relic of the Ticanee people was being used against the Firan Republic Army during the last battle for Ellish. Ticanee were methodically slaughtered over the religious symbol, which seemed to feed an energy to Obala’s Tower, allowing it to send stronger bolts down to the enemy. The totem pole exploded in fire and sent out shards of wood in all directions, killing the Shamibelian priests who were misusing it.

Kidnappings

At first there was little retribution on the city of Anarinuell despite the great strides made by the Firan Army to take the city. But this state could not last, and soon those on the home front felt a measure of the fear felt by those at the Front.

It is still uncertain who initiated the attacks, whether it was the Shamibelian army or independent action taken by their agents in the city, although theories support the former over the latter. But what is known is the targets, for they were some of the highest profile women in the city. The goal appeared to be kidnapping rather than slaying, as unknown numbers of soldiers and traitors assaulted the women's guards and attempted to accost the noblewomen.

Clan Leader Luna Corinala was attacked outside her own estate. Of all the attacks, hers was the only one to have a haffie witnessed in the assault of hooded men.

Teonia Elianik, wife of General Savaren Elianik, was said to have been attacked but survived; there were rumors that she had been fatally wounded but these were quickly proven to be untrue.

Lady Tia Firgalik is said to have been attacked and her guards were said to have fought back an attack on her, although reports differed on the size of the attack. She was safely returned to the Gold Dragon mansion.

Princess Selene Elianik is said to have been bloodied from an attack but is generally seen as the first person to announce that the attacks had taken place, despite her injured state.

The two successful attacks were against Lady Lucretia IstaNydiam, wife of Nydiam and mother of Royalty, and Clan Leader Ania IstaNeysani. Both were taken after their guards were attacked and spirited off to the Front to be used by the Shamibelians against the Firan army. Lady Lucretia was recovered at one of the Fort battles and quickly spirited away to recover, as the rumors say she was abused and violated in front of the army and her son Argin.

Clan Leader Ania would be recovered after the Battle of Ellish and the Firan reclaiming of the city. Prince Lucas Elianik went through the city by himself to recover his cousin, finding her and returning her to her Clan on November 6th, 42 A.U.

As of 43 A.U. the investigation in to the kidnappings and attacks is still ongoing.

The Missions

Mapping the Area

Lord Captain Marsalos Iberik led Captain Kendra Coyote, Lady Centurion Srenni Sennet and Sentry Ladonna Harror upon a mission -- the first mission -- to develop a map of the area. They were sent first to Vantage Hills, an area directly between the Firan Fortress and Judano's Climb. Aside from rain and mud, this area was uneventful, although they did find a point for a possible ambush and a vantage point for spying. Instead of returning immediately, Sentry Ladonna Harror was sent back with the map and the rest of the scouts stayed out. This caused a stir within the camps, suggesting the three had been killed or captured.

However, such rumors were false. In truth, the team of scouts made their way further north, to Judano's Climb. It was not, perhaps, part of the original plan, but they went on anyway. Much of it was spent waiting for the flow of Shamibelians moving up and down the hill, but eventually Lady Centurion Srenni was sent down towards Bandar's Hill where she spotted the six-by-two-hundred foot wall of hay bales. Lord Captain Marsalos and Captain Kendra were not so lucky, however. They were looking for troop numbers, only to find most of them were waiting within the fort rather than on the hill, which had cleared out. Lord Captain Marsalos slipped, calling the attention of a Shamibelian. Instead of letting the team leader get caught, Captain Kendra brought the attention to herself so that he could escape. Escape he did -- but Captain Kendra Coyote was the first Firan captured in the campaign of 42 AU.

Fort Triumph Sapping

Lady Captain Tanya, Centurion Ramisa, Sentry Niobe, and Sentry Arinsana were the team that had the mission to weaken Fort Triumph by means of sneaking to the fort and placing four fire bombs in a section of the east wall, making a hole that would more easily allow access for the army when the fort was under attack. They went at night, successfully avoiding detection from the numerous patrols, making their way through the spiked moat, and managing to place the bombs even though they were spotted and alarms were sounded.

Once the bombs were detonated, in the confusion and the smoke and fire, the group made their way back out of the moat but did come under attack from a patrol on the other side. Sentry Niobe took down one shamibelian so quickly and so silently he never knew what happened and really didn't even have a chance to draw his weapon. Sentry Arinsana suffered a badly broken neck in the attack but the rest of the team managed to fashion a litter and avoiding ground and griffon patrols, made their way safely back to camp. No other serious injuries were sustained and there were no casualties for the Firans on that misson.

Right before the battle, Lord Captain Marsalos Iberik and Lady Centurion Srenni Sennet were sent on a rushed mission to see what sort of damage was done to Fort Triumph by the sapping team. There was, in fact, a hole in the wall of the fort. The pair found that the Shamibelians did not have the time to repair the damage very well, having boarded it up with some wood that could be burned or easily knocked down by a soldier.

Fort Zayes Scouting

There were multiple missions run to scout Ft. Zayes designed to give the Firan army a chance to use the lay of the land. The most major one was run by the Air Force, and led by (then) Centurion Alessandro Keniwik and Lord Captain Marsalos Iberik. The plan was for Sharin Rissik to go in on Garissa first and draw the Air Force away, while Marsalos led a team of pilots on griffons to scout. Sharin dove in and drew off the Air Force, but was beset and Garissa was injured in the process. This did provide both for a spectacular show and cover for the scout team, who were able to sneak in and map the surrounding areas.

For their heroism, the entire team (Sharin and the Scouts) were awarded the 'Silver Wings of Bravery' medal by Lord First General Donos. The team was: Sharin, Aeryk, Evius, Jericho, Eriden, Alessandro and Marsalos. Alessandro was also promoted to Captain for his bravery.

Red Bloom and Privy Sickness

In one of the most dangerous missions of the war, the Firans decided to take scrapings of the Red Bloom, a dangerous and sometimes deadly disease, that they had recovered after an outbreak in Anarinuell and use them against the Shamibelians. Following the Battle of Garen's Gully, two soldiers, Lord Captain Adan IstaBannos and Dame Centurion Sarina Whitefeather, rushed back to camp changed their armor, grabbed the jar containing the scrapings, and rushed back out to the field. The two managed to sneak into Fort Zayes on the back of a retreating Shamibelian hay wagon before the gates closed on them. After that, the story becomes less clear. Apparently posing as slaves, the two managed to spread the Bloom into the Shamibelian privy where it spread through the fortress. But that night, only Lord Captain Adan returned. He explained he was able to slip out while Dame Centurion Sarina was forced to remain behind. He was immediately quarantined and treated for exposure to the Bloom.

The first attack against Fort Zayes occurred too soon after the spreading of the Bloom and the Shamibelians and their slaves were not badly sickened. It seemed that the mission would be for nothing. But after the Firans retreated and re-organized, time passed. Time, it seemed, is what the Firans needed. The Bloom worsened and the Shamibelians and their slaves became sicker and sicker, weakened for when they had to fight the Firans a second time. The Firans took Fort Zayes in part due to the Shamibelians' weakened state. And as a final benefit, Dame Centurion Sarina was found, unharmed, after the battle hiding in a hay wagon.

After Fort Zayes was retaken, the troops were ordered to avoid rooms in it at all cost. Srennian High Priestess Alexa put out the call to the priests at the front to try and help clean up the bloom infestation that the Firans had caused. The call was originally answered by Eeshan High Priestess Chelona Dranieez, Eeshan Priest Judanaris Corinala and Srennian Priest Inarus Elikista. This was a dangerous undertaking, and all three ended up contracting the red bloom sickness.

To make matters worse, another sickness was discovered. The 'Privy sickness' as it was referred to, seemed to hit them as well along with many others who ventured inside Fort Zayes. At least two, a young griffon soldier named Ion and Lord Priest Inarus Elikista, almost died from the combination of both illnesses, but in the end none perished. Mother Chelona Dranieez of the Temple of Eesha located a scrap of a scroll which had a description, in Shamibelian, of how to treat this unfamiliar disease with an herb only known as 'coneflower' by the Bonduins.

With the aid of Dame Balinda Garkansen, coneflower was determined to be echinacea herb. After a desperate scurry to locate echinacea plants, a tea was produced which seemed to ease the stomach pains which the sickness produced. Mother Karana Karanik and legendary healer Odoni Istanar spoke to some of the freed Bonduin slaves with translation done by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti, confirming that time and the regular consumption of the tea was the only way to alleviate symptoms. Their findings were confirmed by Sarina, who had had similar conversations with the Bonduin slaves while infiltrated among them. But in time the sickness passed, and the infected soldiers rested, preparing themselves for the final assault on Ellish.

Ellish Scouting

Princess Captain Thaddia Elianik was to lead Lady Centurion Srenni Sennet and Sentry Niobe Istems on a scouting mission to Ellish itself. To get there, they were to ride with Commander Tagda Leafchaser, Centurion Arik Zaridik and Centurion Sharin Rissik respectively. Although they were able to fly over the area they had already won from the Shamibelians, after a point the group had to fly low and through trees. This proved to be difficult, and the griffon carrying Commander Tagda and Princess Captain Thaddia crashed. Lady Centurion Srenni took over command of the mission, having the pilots take them to the drop off point. Once they'd been dropped off, the pilots went to look for the fallen griffon with no luck. It was later learned they managed to get back to camp.

Lady Centurion Srenni and Sentry Niobe were drop east-southeast of the city of Ellish. So that there was less likelihood of being caught, they were dropped a good distance away. It took them some hours of trekking over hills and through forests before they saw it: the city of Ellish. They were the first free Firans to see the city in a long time. The city itself had changed from a normal walled city to an epic fortress from years of Shamibelian control. The overseers and their slaves were still farming their land, even knowing that the Republic military would soon be upon their doorstep.

The road to Fort Zayes left the east gate, but the pair was to the south. The southern gate had brutally long murder-walls. The eastern gate's were much shorter, but the Shamibelians had aeries there. The walls were built of thick stone and the gates themselves had metal portcullises in addition to their wooden doors. A stream ran down from the forest to the southwest corner, but at the end of it was a tower. The large Tower of Obala stood right in the center of the city, a sight difficult to miss. Any advantages the pair could see had something to defend against or near it.

While the two tried to get nearer, crossing a field of tall grass, it was in vain. An eight year-old Bonduin slave spotted them midfield and made the call for his Shamibelian overseer. Although Lady Centurion Srenni easily disappeared through the tall grass back to the forest again, it was more difficult for Sentry Niobe. She was very nearly caught, having dropped to the ground in the grass. The overseer stabbed through the grass, but she managed to keep out of the way and eventually he gave up. Once Sentry Niobe made it back to the forest, the two made their way to the meeting point to be flown home once again. This time, there was no trouble.

Firebombing!

Commander Tagda Leafchaser led a run to firebomb the gates of Ellish, with the goal being to weaken the gates enough that the Fighting Fifth could ram them open during the battle. The team included Sentry Andreas, Centurion Aervani, Sentry Sabria, Sentry Nisa, Captain Alessandro, Lord Captain Marsalos, Commander Tagda, Centurion Lucia, Centurion Keeli, Centurion Jericho, Centurion Aeryk, Centurion Banian, Centurion Faedrus, Centurion Sharin, Sentry Davonos, Centurion Arik, (then) Sentry Eriden and Sentry Dar. They were divided in to two teams: A distraction team led by Sharin of himself, Faedrus and Davonos. And an actual bombing team led by Tagda and Marsalos.

The distraction team went in first, riding hard, and drew off a sizable chunk of the Air Force, but at a high cost. Centurion Sharin Rissik and Sentry Faedrus Garkansen were shot down. Centurion Sharin was actually hidden by the fact that his griffon fell on him, and as such only suffered a severely broken back but was not captured; he was later rescued by the Elianik negotiating team. Sentry Faedrus was not so lucky, and was taken to Ellish in shackles. He has yet to be recovered.

During the bombing raid, two Firan griffons were killed leaving their pilots and archers to fend off the Shamibelians while the other Firans escaped. As the remaining Shamibelian pilots flew toward the group, the remaining firebombs were used as grenades to eliminate the enemy griffons. Sentry Sabria scored a direct hit on an enemy griffon midair while Centerion Keeli was able to lob a firebomb into an enemy griffon's open maw as it attempted to attack her. With the enemy griffons killed and proving the unity that Lord General Donos had inspired, Centerion Jericho (Eagle), Centerion Keeli (Chimera), Sentry Dar (Griffon) and Sentry Sabria (Ticanee) were able to work as a team in eluding the Shamibelian scouting parties that were sent after them. Centerion Keeli was able to heal the team of it's injuries with the healing supplies carried by Sentry Sabria. It took a day and a half before the four formerly MIAs to manage to make it back to Fort Zayes safely.

The firebombing was successful despite the heavy losses inflicted on the distraction team, weakening the gates so that the Fighting Fifth could ram them wide open.

Breaking The Gates

A log of this mission is included in the logs section at the bottom of this page.

Lead by Dame General Alexa, a team consisting mostly of the Fighting Fifth was sent to break down the East gate of Ellish that had been damaged during the firebombing run. The team consisted of Dame General Alexa, Lord Captain Marsalos, Centurion Kelarik, Centurion Yacen, Sentry Aranos, Sentry Kalina, Sentry Niobe, Sentry Sabria, Sentry Zutanos and Father Brizo.

As the team pushed a roofed, triangular battering ram toward the East Gate of Ellish, they were partially protected from the archers that stood upon the walls of Ellish. After Centurion Yacen was greatly injured by an arrow that passed through his midsection and out of his back, Dame General Alexa gave the order for a volley against the Shamibelian archers. It was a dangerous move to volley, as the Firan archers would be without cover to take aim at the enemy. Without hesitation, Sentry Sabria lead the volley and managed to eliminate at least one enemy archer. She returned to helping move the battering ram without a scratch.

As the battering ram was moved into place at the gate, oil was poured down upon the battering ram and then ignited in a firey burst. As the team battered away at the gate with the great Republic fist ram, Sentry Kalina did her best to heal the injured enough that they were still able to keep pounding away at the gate. Several team members went unconcious for a time but never did they give up, as they all knew Lord General Donos was counting on the gate to be brought down.

Finally, there was a crack and the left side of the East Gate was brought down, then the rest of the gate demolished. With the gate down, the team began to move the ram out of the way so the Firan Forces could rush in and attack the Shamibelians in Ellish itself. Despite the numerous burns, arrow wounds and shrapnel injuries from flying pieces of the gate, there were no casualties among the team and they were able to make it back to the lines for further healing. Without the success of this mission, the recapture of Ellish may not have been possible.

Slaves Insurrection

A log of Srenni recounting this mission is included in the logs section at the bottom of this page.

For the final mission of the war, a team led by Lord Captain Adan was to infiltrate the city and ferment a slave revolt against the Shamibelians as the Firans attacked the city. The others on the team were Lord Captain Rodiste, Lady Centurion Srenni, Centurion Karish, and Centurion Norik. The team posed as an overseer, Adan, leading a group of newly captured slaves, the rest of the team, back into Ellish from Fort Zayes.

The team successfully made it past the sentries of the gates of Ellish and Adan led them to the Slave Temple which has often been called the hub for rebellion and dissent in Shamibelian-held cities. The team began speaking to the various slaves here, with Karish speaking to a strange Ticanee woman wearing leeches, a woman by the name of "Coyote." Other slaves told Adan that they could lead him to the "Protector," the person in the rebellion that protected spies and infiltrators like him, and keep him safe until the Firan armies arrived.

But that was not to be. As the team left the Temple, they were immediately confronted by Shamibelian priests and soldiers, and taken into custody. Coyote, it appeared, was a spy for Shamibelians and had ratted them out. The team was taken to a cell to rot while the priests decided what to do with them.

And so the team remained, through the bashing of the gates and the initial assault on Ellish. But when the Firans flooded the city, Coyote returned and released them, leading the team to a group of fifty slaves that were arming themselves to fight to retake Ellish. This rag-tag bunch joined the final fight for the city, and while it was not a great tactical or strategic help, it did lift the spirits of the Firan forces to see slaves join the fight against their masters.

The Politics and Negotiations

A log of the negotiations is included in the log section at the bottom of this page.

When Lord Donos decided to meet with the Shamibelians after the battle at Garen's Gully to discuss the potential of the Shamibelians surrendering, he did so by gathering together representatives of each clan and then allowing Prince Argin to continue to take the forefront while he played up the tea-drinking of the Bears to good effect. The representatives thus chosen were Princess Centurion Thaddia Elianik (Chimera), Sentry Aranos (Cockatrice), Centurion Kelarik Cylisti (Eagle), Sir Commander Parosh Dilarik (Bear), Sentry Zutanos Kenirugrik (Hydra), Lady Captain Tanya Oshta (Ticanee), Lady Centurion Srenni Sennet (Griffon), and Lord Centurion Cortik Junik (Gold Dragon). In addition, Sentry Rally Nosharik came to act in a tea-bearing capacity.

However, the Shamibelians deemed the presence of women inappropriate, and would not discuss matters with them there - so, reluctantly, Princess Thaddia led Lady Tanya, Lady Srenni, and Mes Rally back to the troops. Lord Marsalos Iberik and Lord Tyrsun Ista Aldrik returned in their stead. In return for sending the women away, the Firans asked that the many grisly decorations be covered or taken further away from the negotiations, and this, too, was done, though not without grumbles.

The negotiations themselves were an odd scene, with the Governor of Ellish being his usual bombastic self and mistaking Donos for a servant, while the far more intelligent Hralib toyed with the Firan party. However, nothing was agreed on, and they departed. After they were gone, Prince Argin tore apart the meeting-area, overturning the table and pulling the stakes from the ground in his fury.

The Battles

Between the nearby cities of Agadin and Ellish are three forts: Firan Fortress, Fort Triumph, and Fort Zayes. The Firan Army controlled the Firan Fortress due to success in last year's war. That left two forts, plus Ellish, to siege. In addition to the forts, the Shamibelian Host met the Firan Army on the terrain between forts. Bandar's Hills is an area right outside of the Firan Fortress. Judano's Climb is a tough hill leading up to Fort Triumph. Garen's Gully is a deadly valley between Fort Triumph and Fort Zayes. Each of these areas had to be won and held by the Firans.

Bandar's Hills

The Firans fought a pair of "scrimmage" battles to test out the combat code. These were treated as IC battles for sake of continuity but the players went into the battles knowing that all their death and damage would be retconned.

Judano's Climb

The road from the Firan Fortress winds around some hills and rises up a rocky slope towards Fort Triumph. The hill gave the Shamibelians a fighting advantage. This was a basic ground battle, with the Firans forming several lines: swords in front, spears behind them, archers behind spears, and healers and command personnel in the rear. The Shamibelians fought with iron long swords and protected their archers. The Shami General stayed far away and watched from a distant hill. There were air engagements with enemy griffons carrying archers. The battle was made more difficult by a wall of bales of hay the Shamis had built for the archers to hide behind, but they began to smoke so that they were rendered useless at the beginning of the battle.

Sharin Rissik and Garissa deployed for the first time in this battle as a sort of trial run, flying out and scaring off the enemy Air Forces. There was no actual engagement between the Eagle and the enemy however.

Fort Triumph

The walls of Fort Triumph were "softened up" by some scouts with some small bombs, recently invented by the Firans. The Firan siege of the fort was on several fronts. A small force attacked the breach blown in the wall while a larger force attacked the gate. Siege towers were wheeled up to the moat and soldiers ran across large, flat planks to fight for the walls.

Fort Triumph was also the first time in recent history and memory when a Giant Eagle was used in combat. Before the Battle started properly Sharin Rissik did a buzz of the fort with Garissa, scaring off three griffons before flying away. A trial run for things to come later.

Garen's Gully

Garen's Gully was a brutal fight, but a good one for the Firans. It turned out to be a rout of the Shamibelians due to courageous fighting and brilliant tactics. There was an ambush that helped clear the ridges, and the Firans enforced their air supremacy. This was the second battle where Sharin Rissik rode Garissa in to scare off the enemy griffons, and drove off enough that the Firan Air Force outnumbered the Shamibelian Air Force.

Scouting had revealed a small ravine that led up to one of the ridges where the Shamibelian archers would be stationed. A small group was led by Princess Captain Thaddia Elianik and included such people as Lady Captain Tanya Oshta, Lord Centurion Esen Sennet, Sentry Timon of the Eagle Clan, Sentry Kaedin of the Chimera Clan, Sentry Arcos of the Chimera Clan, Centurion Wakiro of the Hydra Clan, and Sentry Akai of the Chimera Clan. The group started out earlier than the rest of the troops so that they could reach the top of the ravine in time for the ambush. Due to the narrowness of the ravine, they had to climb it single file with Princess Thaddia in the front. Each had to step up out of the ravine on their own to charge the line of Shamibelian archers. The ploy was a success, as the archers were taken by surprise and, with the help of the air force, the small crew was able to remove the threat that the archers represented to the bulk of the Republic troops assembled to make their way up the Gully without any losses. The ravine team was able to rejoin the bulk of the troops during the duel of Prince Commander Argin Elianik who answered the challenge the Shamibelian warlord had called to Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

Fort Zayes

Garen's Gully is a steep ramp up onto a tall cliff plateau. The ramp cuts into the plateau, so there are "platforms" that jut out on either side of the ramp. The Shamibelian army positioned itself at the top of the ramp and posted forces of archers on each side platform to form a kill zone in the middle. They made the Firans come up to fight them. The Shamis tried to mimic the Firan sword-and-spear defensive line but their discipline failed mid-battle and it became a free-for-all.

Previously known as Fort Sacrifice, and before that called Fort Obala by the enemy, Fort Zayes has always been a difficult fort to siege. This was the toughest battle leading up to Ellish. The fort is essentially a large rectangular "brick" of imposing, very tall walls defended by numerous high towers. It had a single, well-defended gate house and the Shamis had expanded its surrounding trench into a wide moat full of icky, nasty stuff, plus some sharpened pikes.

The Firan siege towers were not tall enough to breach the walls, so engineers lengthened the planks and the soldiers sieging the walls had to climb a 30- or 40-degree incline up wobbly wooden planks onto the walls while being attacked by enemy soldiers and archers. The Shamibelians also poured cooking oil down the Firan planks to make them more dangerous to soldiers, many of whom ended up falling off the ramps into the moat 50 feet below.

Before sieging Fort Zayes, the Firans had attacked it with Red Bloom, a type of mold that they tried to use as a biological weapon. On the first siege attempt, the Red Bloom had not taken hold yet, so the Firans were forced to regroup and wait a few more days. On the second siege attempt, the Shamibelians were quite sick and, without knowledge of a cure, were not able to fend off the Firan attack.

There were actually two combats at Ft. Zayes. The first was a brief skirmish where the two armies bloodied eachother's noses, but the Firans ultimately withdrew to come again with a better tactical advantage.

Before the second battle for Fort Zayes, the Shamibelians taunted the Firan armies with a gruesome display atop the walls of the fort. A captured Firan noblewoman was paraded onto the ramparts, and was publicly violated by at least a half dozen Shamibelians in front of the Firans. It would later be rumored that this noblewoman was in fact Lady Lucretia IstaNydiam, Prince Argin's mother. There are several versions of the truth, but it is said that when Fort Zayes fell, Prince Argin, filled with murderous rage, charged into the keep just in time to confront a fleeing Shamibelian soldier that held Lady Lucretia hostage. Supposedly, the Shamibelian attempted to strike a bargain, offering the captive noblewoman in exchange for his own life. At one point, the goat turned to flee, and Commander Tagda shot him down before he could escape. Some say that Prince Argin did indeed grant ritualistic quarter to the Shamibelian in exchange for his mother, and that when Tagda shot him afterwards it angered the gods. Others say that Argin himself ordered Tagda to shoot the goat down. Only those who were there know the truth of it, but following that battle, the Firan priests reported that the gods had withdrawn their favor.

The incident at Fort Zayes would spur no small amount of religious controversy and debate, including voluntary penance on the parts of both Argin and Tagda, but it also had an immediate effect. Firan soldiers, caught up in the blood lust of the battle and disgusted with the treachery of their enemies, began to cut down the surrendering and defenseless Shamibelians. It was only through inspirational words (and perhaps some threats) that Lord First General Donos and Dame General Alexa managed to gain control of the situation, avoiding a total slaughter of the helpless.

Shamibelian Raid!

After the army successfully took Ft. Zayes it was determined that parts of it were temporarily uninhabitable due to the Red Bloom the Firans had infected the Shamibelians with. Because of this the order came down from the Generals to camp outside of the Fortress. Unfortunately, this left them open to the Shamibelians favorite tactics: Air Raiding and Firebombing. Firan griffons won't fly at night, and so the only defense was that of the ground archers, who were under the command of Commander Tagda, and Sharin Rissik taking to the air on Garissa; between these forces they drove off seven griffons and killed three others. The following is the story of the Shami raid, as told through the staff emits:

Through the fog, the ominous silence of the night is broken by the shriek of a lone griffon, followed by a firebomb that explodes just off the edge of the Firan encampment around Fort Zayes. The fire glows orange through the fog, and everything is a haze. For those troops not inside the fortress, there is little protection but your field tents.

The problem becomes immediately apparent. By surrounding Fort Zayes without actually occupying it, the army is left completely and utterly vulnerable to night time fire-bombings. There is little protection to be afforded anywhere, except a little bit from the fog as it appears the bomb that fell on Alessandro's tent was intended for Donos'. Soldiers everywhere feel the panic of knowing they are utterly, utterly exposed very little defense.

Griffons swoop over at high speed. It's so dark that you barely have time to see them but for a brief second. Whoosh! Another flies over, seeking a good target for a firebomb! It was high up, so it was hard to see, but was its eyes a dim glowing red?

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Four fire bombs fall at the same time, and the entire encampment is ablaze. Unlike Firan firebombs, Shamibelian type spreads, explodes, and is extremely difficult to put out. It rages, it grows, it consumes. Grown men are shrieking into the dark, stumbling out of their tents on fire.

The common soldiery are convinced that this is the worst experience they've had yet during the war, because there is no one to fight, no one to see, no way of actually doing anything much and the Firan spirit, so close to victory, is especially frustrated by this. And of course, their camp is on fire.

The one good moment of the night, the only comforting sound, is that of Garissa the Giant Eagle, who lets out a raptor's call before launching into the air with Sharin astride.

You can't see what happens up in the air. Heck, not even Sharin can. But Garissa lets out a raptor sound that's almost like a laugh as the beating wings of several frightened Shamibelian griffons take off. Seven bombs are burning.

Judas takes a random shot into the air. It flies for a while, and hits a target: Sharin! who has just thundered into the air on Garissa!

The sun comes up, orange on the horizon just in time to show Sharin atop Garissa the Giant Eagle, absolutely destroying the remaining griffons in the air. One of them comes plummeting down, down, down, sure to crash right on Zafir Junik's tent. In the meantime, your encampment is still burning and there's smoke and soot everywhere. Your griffons and archers can take to the air, but it looks like the enemy has been driven off by Sharin and his brave Eagle. The troops cheer from below. Those that are not choking and coughing, that is.

Garissa, flown by Sharin, screeches so loudly that the Shamis in Ellish probably heard it! Most of the bomber griffons rout, flying away like startled vultures. The Giant Eagle happily rips through the few remaining bombers, and the carnage sprays and thuds on tents everywhere. One of the bombers crashes into the ground outside of camp and its bomb explodes, leaving a crater and little else left to burn in a funeral later. The air is silent, but fires rage across camp.

As fires burned, the worst was in the Supply tent. Numerous Firan soldiers and priest moved to try to save what they could of their supplies. Fortunately, several of the Firan were capable fire fighters and the fire was brought under control with limited loss of two food supply wagons. It looked as if rationing of the remaining food supplies would have to happen but as luck would have it, a large care package of food was enroute from Anarinuell which had been donated by various citizens of the city. As a result, rationing was averted.

The Siege of Ellish

The Siege of Ellish was the most brutal battle of the war, with two separate days of pitched fighting. The first day of fighting involved the Firan Forces breaking in to the city itself and the second day involved fighting in the city to fully hold it. Staff ruled that we had a 'bank' of 10 PCs that could die before the battles were stopped; at that point the War Staff would look at the numbers on each side and decide which side routed. This limit was for both days (10 total over the 2 battles), meaning if the army had taken 10 in the first battle there would have been no second day.

Day One

The first Battle of Ellish, or rather the first day of the Battle of Ellish, was primarily concerned with breaking down the gates and securing a foothold inside the city. The gates of Ellish had stood for 42 years and no Firan army had so much as touched them until this war season. In order to soften up the gates there was a firebombing mission run by the Air Force a day before the battle where multiple firebombs were detonated, at the cost of two pilots being shot down. One (Faedrus) was taken in chains and has yet to be recovered, while the other (Sharin) was recovered before the battle.

The armies advanced to the field after Sharin Rissik and Garissa did another flyby, despite Garissa having a broken leg and Sharin having a broken back. As always it was the Air Force who engaged first, fighting a desperate battle for air superiority. Once they managed to secure said superiority the pilots began to attack the ground targets that were devastating the Infantry.

But the Shamibelian army was not the only threat that the Firans would face during these battles. Wrought entirely out of black materials and stretching high in to the Ellish skyline was a dark tower called the Tower of Obala. As the armies approached they knew it would be a weapon against them, and were proven right as Priests of the Dark God made it fire huge bolts of lightning against the sieging force. Capable of firing on its' own it could be sped up and powered with the blood of sacrifices spilled at its' base. And the Shamibelians did not lack for sacrifices. See the below section dedicated purely to it for the visions of horror the Army experienced in fighting near the tower.

The goal of the day was to break down the now softened gates with a battering ram that was constructed by the Fifth (Supply) Division. One of the few divisions to not be radically restructured under Donos' 'One Division' concept, the Fifth was comprised mainly of healers, logistics officers and craftsmen who served in support roles. But there was a group of soldiers in the division that also served on the front-line combat as well as their support roles; they were known as the Fighting Fifth. And it was the Fighting Fifth that manned the battering ram and ultimately breached the gate. The pilots provided air support, trying to cut down the priests manning the tower so that the Fighting Fifth could breach. And breach they did.

"The siege towers are brought out and you line up behind them, and rush in when they reach their destination: the walls of Ellish. At the same time, the battering ram has moved into position! They pour fire and air bombs on it but its A-frame timber roof holds! In a few minutes, the ram's fist has punched through the gates! The Fighting Fifth backs that siege engine out of there and you charge towards the Shami army waiting at the gates for you!"

The Army punched in through the opening and engaged the Shamibelian army, fighting in Ellish for the first time in the history of the Republic. It was a powerful day that the Shamibelians ultimately lost: "Rout! The Shamibelians are overrun, they flee the battlefield while the Cheers go up from the bleeding Firans! Breach, breach, breach! The Firans have won the start of the battle!" But the day would not be without sacrifice for the Republic. Akai of the Chimera clan was struck down, similarly was Apalonius of the Hydra. Nobles Lucia and Ranselis Tanelish of the Eagle, and Sinan Teranzik of the Bear were struck down as well--although Lady Lucia would be found to just be injured and not truly dead. One of the most emotional deaths of the day was Sir Vasyklo Garkansen, however. Though not noble he had been a fixture of the Republic and Chimeran armies for decades, and went down in true heroic style:

"By ill fortune or by fate, a horde of Shamibelian soldiers swarm around Sir Vasyklo Garkansen. He bears himself as a far younger man might, clad all in iron armor, with his sword held high. But there is no doubt that Sir Vasyklo is very old. He was born before snow. He has lived through the seasons. He has seen a free Ellish and an enslaved one. And now, fighting for that very same city, Sir Vasyklo takes a sword to his heart, and to his back, and falls. But he does not fall alone -- one final strike of his sword brings a Shamibelian warlord down with Vasyklo, and the golden banner of Zutiv falls with them. Here, before the gates of Ellish, one of the last of a generation dies."

Despite these losses the Firan army did take the day and a foothold in the city when the Shamibelians routed. Bittersweet they settled in and reinforced their positions for the next battle.

"Words cannot express the ire of the Firan Army on the battlefield this day. As the Shamibelians flee, they are so tempted to cut them down to the last. They have suffered great losses, but this day done the impossible. Breach. They have breached the Shamibelian walls of Ellish, and some spit their bloody last breaths onto the muddy fields in the name of victory."

The Tower of Obala

The tower of Obala came in to view the moment the armies came to surround the city of Ellish, a huge black tower in the city that began thrumming with power as the armies moved in to their positions. The armies knew as they saw it that it would be a danger, but they had no idea quite how dangerous it would be in the end. These are the initial images of the Tower that were seen by the soldiers and pilots as they flew in to fight.

"As the pilots engage, the Shamibelians position the giant totem pole upon one of their fortified parapets. It is already red and covered with gore, but as the roar of the impending aerial battle rips through the fortified city of Ellish, it drowns out the screams of Ticanee prisoners who are being led one after the other to the totem pole and butchered, their blood splashing like crimson banners in the wind. Heads and body parts of the Ticanee fall off the walls of Ellish in gory chunks and a cadre of priests surrounding it put their hands out, and blue lightning comes from their hands to the totem pole . . ."

"Hmmmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmm. A strange noise starts to thrum in the air, like a pulse, and the black tower of Obala that looms over the battlefield seems to spark to life."

"The priests chants get louder around the totem pole, and the more intensely their hands spark, the louder the thrum gets until suddenly, a bolt of lightning shoots out of the Tower of Obala."

"The bolt of lightning that comes out of the tower hits Mirage, a griffon carrying Lord Banian."

"Hmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmm. The tower seems to be ramping up again if the sparks from its top are any indication, or the rate at which slaves are being slaughtered on the totem pole. And with a terrible cry, three other bolts come out of the tower towards the pilots."

"The priests are still alive, and whatever they're doing to the totem pole right now is perhaps amping up the Tower of Obala. It sparks... it shoots. Three bolts again, just like last time. The Firans can only hope it hits their own like last time."

The tower of Obala would not be taken out of the battle until the second part of the battle, requiring great sacrifice to deplete. See below in the section 'Nydiam's Sacrifice' for the tale of Nydiam's last adventure.

Day Two

The second day of the battle would offer the Firans a much different battleground then they had ever slogged through before. Gone were the muddy fields or the sun baked expanses. Instead the Infantry would be fighting an urban war in the streets of Ellish, where Shamibelians might be waiting around every corner. Officers issued orders regarding the processing of slaves who surrendered during the battle, as well as re-issuing orders regarding slaves who fought against the Army--that if they took arms they would have to be treated like any other soldier. The battle was summed up by the War Team as the Army took the field:

"The final battle has come to this: You have pinned the Shamibelian Army in two parts on the west side of the city. You have the west gate blocked and assault them from the south and east. The battle ground is, of all places, several wide marketplaces here and to the northeast. The Shamibelian Host has created a short wall of market carts and wagons, barrels, bits of stone, and bags of sand. But their army is still very large -- much larger than yours, in fact. Both sides have taken very large casualties, but they have pressed some slaves into service (and many fight willingly to protect their homes). There are buildings all around you. Occasionally, you see a pair of eyes peer out of a dark window. Is it a Shamibelian archer or firebomber? or just a young, afraid child who got lost in the shuffle when many residents left the city today?

The fighting rarely stopped all through last night, except for a few brief hours when an army would relocate or pull back to regroup. You come out of rotation and it is your turn. You'd be relieving the soldiers here if they got to go home. Every soldier has to be here, though, so count yourself lucky to have gotten any sleep. Every Firan soldier stands beside you -- the whole of the Firan Army is ready to fight."

Once again Sharin Rissik took to the sky on Garissa despite their still broken bones, but this time faced a much more difficult task. While they had driven off an impressive number of griffons up until this battle now they would have to fly right up to the deadly Tower of Obala in order to drive off their Air Force. Flying at top speed the griffons did not seem to react, and the tower lanced them both with a huge bolt of lightning. Sharin was knocked unconscious instantly for his bravery and Garissa was lit on fire. These are the poses the Army saw as they made their move:

"Sharin has no troops to cheer, no men to lead, and flies too far away to hear all but the loudest and most important speeches. It is a thrilling but lonely task sometimes, riding in ahead of the forces, facing down the Shamibelian Air Force before any Firan griffon arrives. And yet Sharin seems to be speaking to someone, his lips gently moving as Garissa soard over head, finding comfort in the same things the rest of the army does: Repeating words of victory and reassurance to himself and his mount, and thoughts of family.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. The tower is vibrating now, as if it can feel your energy and is feeding off of it. In a fortified location in Ellish, the bloody totem pole is still erect, and slaves are being sacrificed to it. The tower was shooting lightning all through the night, even without the sacrifices, but slowly and less powerfully. Now, the sacrifices begin again, with bloody body parts falling down to greet the Firans and the streets run red with blood. The tower pulses, pulses, then the sky opens with a bolt of electricity that arcs through the sky at the giant eagle named Garissa and her rider.

Unconscious Sharin has had much fear in his life over the years, much cause to wonder. Whether he can live up to the expectations of his family, whether or not he can be a guard, whether or not he will be executed. But today there is none in his eyes, and none in his heart. Today there is only love, and duty, and honor. He knows the tower is coming for him as he bolts full speed toward the tower, strafing. His bow held high, his eyes wide, he knows no fear. "TODAY WE LIVE FREE!" He shouts as the tower fires, as the lightning lances through his flesh and through the eagle. Sharin is an explosion of pain and blue lightning, spasming as Garissa shrieks in pain. Sharin slumps against the bird, but Garissa stays flying. She turns away with a shriek, her duty completed; even hurt, even with her rider down, their duty is completed. She flies away at top speed, feathers still crackling. They show the same image, the image of the rider and eagle, of the whole army: Bloodied, but unbroken!"

Of the 10 griffon and piloting AIs in the air when they took the field 7 failed their courage checks and fled from the sight of not just their natural enemy a Giant Eagle but a Giant Eagle that was currently on fire. The Firan Air Force would have supremacy in the sky once again. The Army took to the streets and found themselves in pitched combat coming at them from multiple angles. Every street could be a killing field, but the day would yield some of the greatest moments of combat the Firans had ever seen.

Zafir Junik had long proclaimed himself the greatest swordsman in the Republic, and challenged the Governor of Ellish to come duel him--an honor that Fudathim had never bothered even acknowledging in public. But with the Gold Dragon armsman in his own backyard the Shamibelian noble finally accepted the challenge and came to battle the Gold Dragon. Zafir and Fudathim did combat in the streets of Ellish, with no soldier on either side daring to interrupt the duel years in the making. Below is a partial transcript of the combat:

"Zafir raises at the call. "FUDATHIM! Your head belongs to me!" he stalks in on the man, growling.

Fudathim was using a sword, but then he sees Zafir and he laughs, throwing the sword aside.

Zafir sees the Shamibelian General and stalks forward towards him, chest still smoking from the attack he took from the priest. "Fudathim! You killed my son. You killed my daughters. You killed my neices and my nephews. You killed my friends! You killed my family! You killed everything I held dear! NOW. NOW. I KILL YOU. Enguard!" *Firan*

Fudathim lifts up his hands, and they zap blue sparks at Zafir. "Try me! I will suck the life out of ----" *Firan* COMBAT: Zafir gets into a good position to attack Fudathim. COMBAT: Zafir whirls around and slices through Fudathim's neck! Fudathim is looking like he is going to be crippled for good.

Zafir leaps aside Fudathim's hands, closing in on him with a growl. "When was the last time a Firan drew your blood? Was it never? Mark this day as the day you met Lord Zafir Junik, and his blade tasted your life!"

Fudathim staggers from the blow to the throat, staggering so badly that he cannot land his hands on Zafir. Blood is spraying from his neck and he growls at Zafir. "I will eat your liver. You worthless dog of - Firan, and rape your wife, and your daughters too, and drag your sons behind me in chains." *Firan*"

The battle continued on, fierce and harsh, with Zafir demonstrating all of the tricks and techniques he learned in his illustrious career. Several of the blows were the fierce and swift strikes right to the neck that the Lord General had become famous for.

"Zafir keeps circling Fudathim, growling low in his throat. He slices the man's stomach, looking for room to attack again. "Your griffons could not kill me. Your soldiers could not kill me. Your mountain forts and fortified walls could not kill me! Now, Fudathim - now, we'll see if YOU can kill me!""

In the end Zafir Junik stood victorious in the reclaimed city over the foe he had longed to kill, calling out his victory to rally the Firan troops to fight and the slaves to surrender. The battle continued on at a feverish pace with soldiers on both side falling to blade and spears, and still terrifyingly to the lightning from the dark Tower of Obala. Only one man believed he could end the terror caused by the terror, and that was Lord Nydiam IstaNydiam.

Nydiam's Sacrifice

Lord Nydiam was a descendant of Zin through the hero Zarid, and the blood of the God of the Sea had always flowed strongly through him. The Storm Lord's rain was frequently accompanied by the licking of his lightning, and Nydiam believed he could save the Firan army from the terror of the Dark Tower. He ran forward to the field, having been in an observational role, and called out to his Grandfather:

"Nydiam opens his eyes and nods once at the doll of the kraken. Nydiam turns and starts moving towards the tower, "Grandfather! Make me your vessel! I beckon you to use me to shield my Firan brothers and sisters!" Nydiam's pace quickens as the white haired man starts into a dead run towards to tower, "All mighty, Zin, hear my plea! Bring me the lightning!" Nydiam continues shouting at the top of his lungs. His staff is waving wildly in the air."

The sky seemed to respond to his plea: "The storm coming off the lake seems to intensify. The rain is blinding. It drives into your eyes, into your wounds, freezing you to the bone, washing some of the blood off of you. Energy crackles in the air, swirling over Nydiam."

He continued to call to the sky, to beg his Grandfather to let him be the instrument of justice, to let him save the army.

"Nydiam watches his son take the bolt. He shouts in a sobbed anguish, "No!!!" He continues to yell, "Grandfather, give me the lightning! Bring it all to me! Bring me Obala's lightning so that they can live! Hear me, Zin! Hear me, now! I am ready!" Nydiam continues to forage his way toward the tower. Even so much as to strike a downed soldier along the way.

Zap! The tower sends off another lightning bolt towards the field. It starts to bend, towards Nydiam Ista Nydiam, it crackes and dodges, but ultimately escapes what seems to be a force dragging it towards him and hits Primo Dawn."

Finally the sky seemed to respond. The air paused, as if asking the man if he was sure, and when Nydiam responded that he was his grandfather granted the former medallion-holder's wish.

"Nydiam grimaces and then holds his staff above his head. Arrows whiz by him, as he is finally drawing attention. Nydiam ducks and then holds himself up tall, "Zin! Give me the power to be your vessel. Make me one with the lightning, I am ready to start the greatest adventure with my father and my father's father. There is nothing in that tower that can overcome the power of our family!! Bring the ligthning to me!"

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt. zzzzzzzzt. zzzt. zzzt. Lightning comes shooting out of the tower in epic bolts now. The strength intensifies. It's enough to deafen you. And all would see arc after arc of lightning going into Nydiam IstaNydiam's body, burning him, frying him alive before all the assembled army, his older body staggering back, arms flailing.

Zzzzzzzzzzt. Zzzzzzzzt. Zzzzzzt. zzt. hmmmmmmmm. The tower seems to exhaust itself pouring all of its malice into angry bolts that fry Nydiam's hair, swirl around his teeth, light up his eye sockets and lift him from the ground. And then he is laying dead on the battlefield. And there is a terrible silence in the rain."

The tower was depleted but at a terrible cost. The silence and safety of the army came at the cost of Lord Nydiam's life as the man went on the greatest adventure of his life; he died a hero, cheered by the army and mourned by his family.

Donos' Duel

Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik had nothing to prove as he went to the field of Ellish. He had taken the Republic Army farther than it had ever been and set foot on ground no General had taken since before there was a Republic. But Lord Donos refused to ask his men to face a risk that he would not take, and there was no risk too great for the warrior High Priest of Zin. He had already dueled warlords and slain every one who came in front of his blade. But the greatest duel would come toward the end of the second part of the Battle of Ellish, and he would fight no less than the Shami war leader himself: Ehrip, son of Ehriman.

Ehriman had been one of the greatest Shami generals, who feel to a Firan blade years before. Driven by the normal Shamibelian bloodlust as well as the desire for revenge he challenged Lord Donos to a duel on one of the Ellish rooftops. The duel would have the same parameters as all of the other duels: No one would interfere in the duel to the death, under any circumstances. And so Donos Ista Aldrik took the field for the final time.

"The Shami General stands on a building and shouts out: "First General Donos, if you have any honor, you will meet me here to fight me, General to General! I promise that my soldiers will not harm you, as long as your soldiers do not harm me!" Meet me on this rooftop and we shall see what you are really made of!"

Donos draws his sword and starts to make his way around the edge of the battle to begin to climb up the building.

Donos shouts as he reaches the top and charges at the goat Republic, Unity and Ellish!"

Ehrip, the son of Ehriman, grins at Donos. "I have waited a long time for this." He speaks perfect Firan. "I will today avenge my father and slay you and send your army running home like scared children!" He moves in and starts stabbing at Donos with his spear."

The two of them began circling and fighting furiously. Ehrip had the strength and speed of not only a Shami but of a young soldier in his prime, while Donos had the cunning of a warrior proven time and time again. For most of the fight it seemed that the Bear noble would take the day and add one more kill to his impressive list and distinguished career.

""You see that down there, that's my army..killing yours. Again. How's it going to feel to know you've been beaten...by a tea drinker?" He grits his teeth and slices across the goat's leg. "Lord Zin...Let the rains come..let.it.rain"

Ehrip scoffs, his swing going wide and missing Donos. The young Shamibelian General hisses at the rain. He hates it. But he fights on. "Enough of your talk. Fight me!" Then he gets hit in the leg and bleeds. Well, that was fighting...

Ehrip moves slower than Donos. He'll hit harder though. The young Shami general slips on the wet roof and gets caught in the back as Donos stabs him. In one motion, he rises fast to his feet and skewers Donos in the stomach with his long spear!"

Donos set the tone for most of the fight, giving the Shami three wounds for every one that he got. Ehrip took hits to the chest and multiple hits to the legs as Donos danced around him, the flashes of lightning illuminating himself like the fury of the Storm Lord. But fate would not be on the side of the Bear Lord. Despite seeming largely uninjured the Shamibelian General struck him unconscious, the First General of the Firan Republic fell. The Firan army, knowing they had accepted the truce for the duel, could only watch as Ehrip delivered a death blow to their General.

"Ehrip puts his foot on Donos' chest and shouts to the Firans! "I have beaten your General in single combat! Now run! You have no leader! I have won the battle today!" He blasts the spear down into Donos' heart then shakes his spear defiantly! He starts to head back down into the building."

The End of the Battle

When a Shamibelian general falls their army tends to rout; so much of their mentality depends on the strength of the leaders to keep their men together. Ehrip expected the Firan army to do the same, and his men to take the day. But one of the Firan strengths was always that their army was held together by a common cause and purpose which was more important than any one man. Far from being crippled by the loss of their General the Army rallied and rushed the city. The Shamibelians fell before such a concentrated force and routed, fleeing the field. For the first time in 42 years Firan forces held the city of Ellish.

There were equal parts rejoicing and mourning among the ranks of the victorious army that day. For although they had taken the city of Ellish they had lost great men and women to do it. While every loss was a blow, some of the greatest names of the Republic fell in the last push. In addition to Lord Donos the Republic lost Lady Melani Elikista, wife of the Chimeran Clan Leader Torianos, and Prince Savaren Elianik. Savaren Elianik became the first blooded prince of the Republic to fall on the field of battle; Prince Vahlon fell in fighting for the city years before, but he had married in to the Royal Family whereas Savaren was born to it.

The Firans occupied the city and began freeing slaves, and finding the people who had been taken in the raids on the city before.

Immediate Aftermath

After the city fell Commander Argin, brevet General of the Army, began rotating troops home. The third would hold the city while Donos' division returned to Anarinuell to rest, heal and see their families. Later the Command Staff would set up shifts to rotate troops back to do the dirty work of making the city Firan again, but for the moment they were bound for home. For healing and war stories and drinks, and to mourn the dead.

The troops returned to the docks at Ellish to speeches of appreciation and cheers; but the cheers were tempered by the sorrow at so many dead. While they had died for the greatest triumph in the Republic, they had still died, and every generation of Firans lost luminaries. No clan had been left unscathed and the funerals would continue for weeks and months on afterword, as the greatest lay in state and everyone was honored.

Several of the struck down lingered for days on afterwords, including Lady Melani and Prince Savaren. Prince Savaren, clearly clinging to life with an Elianik tenacity but fighting a losing battle, gave a battle field speech to his troops that left many (IC and OOC) in tears, and Lady Melani made out her last will and testament with tender thoughts and gestures to her family.

After 41 previous years of hardship and strife, and the most difficult and heroic war season anyone had ever seen, the Firan Army finally had reclaimed the last lost city: The Republic was finally whole once more.

After the return of the troops to Ellish there was one more announcement that the people were waiting to hear. During the war Clan Leader Ania IstaNeysani had been kidnapped by the Shamibelians, and her fate remained uncertain. On Friday, Nov 6th Prince Lucas Elianik announced that he had gone on a solo mission to free his cousin from the clutches of the Shamibelians, and that she was safely back in the city. The Eagle clan rejoiced.

Recollections of Individual Soldiers

Bandar's Hills - 1st Battle written September 21, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Judano's Climb - 2nd Battle written September 21, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Fort Triumph - 3rd Battle written September 21, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Garen's Gully - 4th Battle written September 21, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Mid-Campaign Recollections written September 22, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Fort Zayes - 5th Battle written October 13, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Holding Fort Zayes - Healer and Priest Crises written October 13, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Claiming the East Gate of Ellish written October 18, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Claiming Ellish - Final Battle written October 30, in the year 42 A.U., by Centurion Kelarik Cylisti.

Memories of a soldier - Rezzana of the Griffon Clan's homeward journey.

Aftermath

• Firan Occupied Ellish

Casualties

This is a list of deaths organized by clan (with the handful of extremely notable people listed first). Where we remember, we have noted the cause of death, too.

• Most Notable
  • Lord First General High Priest Donos Ista Aldrik (Bear) -- killed in single combat by Shamibelian General Ehrip, son of General Ehriman
  • Prince General Savaren Elianik (Chimera) -- lost his sword while on the front line and kept fighting goats with his fists!
  • Lord Proxy Nydiam IstaNydiam (Cockatrice) -- prayed to Zin, who channeled divine energy through him to destroy the Tower of Obala
  • Lady Proxy Centurion Melani Elikista (Chimera) -- slain while fighting on the front lines in the last battle to reclaim Ellish, by one of the dark priests of Obala's lightning.

• Bear Clan
  1. Sentry Donam Verber -- killed on the front line during the second battle of Ellish
  2. Lord Captain Fiero Teranzik-- slain during the final push in Ellish
  3. Sentry Ghana -- slain in battle at Judano's Climb
• Chimera Clan
  1. Sentry Akai -- killed during the initial assault on Ellish
  2. Sentry Elif Aedilik -- killed in the battle at Judano's Climb
  3. Sentry Kaedin -- slain at Garen's Gully
  4. Sir Vasyklo Garkansen -- killed at the gates of Ellish in the initial assault
  5. Sentry Valorik - killed during the battle of Ft. Zayes
• Cockatrice Clan
  1. Centurion Bashar Sarkarik -- mortally wounded in the second battle of Ft. Zayes, died of his wounds in camp
  2. Sentry Vinetti -- killed in the battle at Judano's Climb
• Eagle Clan
  1. Lord Centurion Ranselis Tanelish -- killed on the front lines in the initial Ellish assault
  2. Lord Centurion Talion Iberik -- killed on the front lines at Ft. Zayes
  3. Sentry Timon -- slain at Garen's Gully
• Gold Dragon Clan
  1. Sentry Tabarus Firabi -- mortally wounded at Ft. Zayes, died in camp
• Griffon Clan
  1. Lord Centurion Esen Sennet -- mortally wounded at Garen's Gully, died shortly after the battle was won, on the field
  2. Lord Centurion Galanthis Sennet -- slain during the initial assault on Ellish
  3. Sentry Khristos -- killed during a scouting mission
• Hydra Clan
  1. Sentry Apalonius -- killed at the initial assault on Ellish
  2. Lord Centurion Katarus N'Gato -- killed during the battle of Garen's Gully
  3. Sentry Ulyn Anizut -- killed at the assault of Ft. Zayes
  4. Centurion Wakiro -- killed during the final assault on Ellish
• Ticanee Clan
  1. Captain Kendra Coyote -- killed while attempting to escape captivity after getting caught on a scouting mission

• The Permanently Maimed (Perms)

1. Centurion Alastor Coyote suffered a permanent injury to his previously non-injured arm from battle damage and from heroically protecting the healers from the boiling oil dumped on them.
2. Centurion Sharin Rissik was seriously injured twice, sustaining a broken back from the firebombing run and severe electrocution damage from divebombing the tower of Ellish.
3. Commander Tagda Leafchaser suffered greatly when the Lord First General's griffon attacked her during a taming attempt. She broke her wrist severely, along with her face, and was put out of commission for the last battle of Ellish. During an attempt to heal her, Tagda's wrist was broken some more, sending her back into unconsciousness. The break took months and months and months to heal.

Logs, Famous Speeches, Awards, and Letters

Logs

Breaking the Gates - This log is of the mission to break the eastern gate of Ellish.

Srenni Recounts The Infiltration Of Ellish - This log is not the slave insurrection mission itself, but a retelling of it done by Srenni

Negotiations on the Field - This log is of the Firan/Shamibelian negotiations which occurred after the battle at Garen's Gully.

Battlefield Awards - Judano's Climb - This is a log of just Donos's words during the awards ceremony given after Judano's Climb, edited to remove pages of cheering.

Battlefield Awards - Fort Triumph - This is a log of just Donos's words during the awards ceremony given after Fort Triumph, edited to remove pages of cheering.

Battlefield Awards - Fort Zayes - This is a log of just Donos's words during the awards ceremony given after Fort Zayes, edited to remove pages of cheering.

Griffons Make the Worst Patients - This is a log of some of the roleplay that occurred in the medical tent following the sanitation of Fort Zayes.

Famous Speeches

Supplies given July 3, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

The Eve of War given August 12, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

Kill Them All given August 27, in the year 42 A.U., by Prince Argin Elianik.

The First Battle given August 27, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

Fort Triumph given September 7, in the year 42 A.U., by Prince Argin Elianik.

Fort Triumph! given September 7, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

Prayer for Rain given September 14, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

Garen's Gully given September 16, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik

Fort Zayes! given September 25, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

Fort Zayes is Ours! given September 28, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

Ellish Speech given October 16, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

The Final Battle given October 19, in the year 42 A.U., by Lord First General Donos Ista Aldrik.

Air Force to Ellish! given October 19, in the year 42 A.U., by Commander Tagda Leafchaser.

Firan Military given October 23, in the year 42 A.U., by Prince General Savaren Elianik.

Donos' Last Victory Speech given October 25, in the year 42 A.U., by Captain Alessandro Keniwik.

Ania Returned! given November 6, in the year 42 A.U., by Prince Commander Lucas Elianik.

Awards

Republic Medal of High Honor Recipients - The Republic Medal of High Honor recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Republic Medal of Honor Recipients - The Republic Medal of Honor recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Republic Commendation Medal with Gallantry - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Republic Medal of Achievement - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Republic Appreciation Scroll - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Silver Wings of Bravery Medal - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Garen's Ambush Medal - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Fortification Award - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Fifth Division Remembrance Gold Medal - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Fifth Division Bronze Medal of Exemplary Service - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Kendra Coyote Silver Medal of Service - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Burning Gates Gold Medal - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony.

Iron Permits for Battle Awards - Recipient list, with words from the presentation ceremony

Battle Award - Recipient list

Letters

Letters From Home